Black Star
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” ~Plato ---- Introduction Thank you for your interest in Blackstar. The following is an extensive download of information about our Faction that is intended to help you decide whether or not *we* might be the right Faction-Home for you in the World of Midian. Before we begin, here are some things you may wish to know before reading this entire document; ~Blackstar is a *role-play* faction. We use text-based combat on almost all occasions, and combat itself is only one small feature of the entire role-play we engage in. We expect prospective members to be able to demonstrate interesting, literary posts and also to be inclined to engage in “social” role-play outside of combat. Your character is expected to be a *person* with emotional responses, likes, dislikes and personal beliefs – not just a stereotype with a gun. ~Blackstar looks for “thinking warriors” to recruit for its various covert and paramilitary roles. Our objective is always to accomplish our missions and NOT have our characters die in a blaze of glory. If your character is so macho that she or he will never retreat even in the face of certain death, must respond to every insult with immediate violence, or relies more on hardware than smarts to prevail, then Blackstar may be a poor choice for you. ~Blackstar does not try to be “the Good Guy” even though we do hire out to well-intentioned people from time-to-time. Blackstar is not a sadistic organization devoted to evil for its own sake, although we hire out to *those* people as well. Blackstar is a mercenary organization with its own agenda that extends into the future and far past the Midian area. We do not recruit choir-boys or demented psychopaths; we look for former military special-operations *professionals* who can be as ruthless as the situation calls for and who will not flinch at doing whatever is required to preserve Blackstar and accomplish the task at hand. ~Blackstar is not a traditional military group. We pride ourselves on giving the public impression of being "merely Oceanic's security force" and we do wear uniforms and conduct ourselves in a militaristic manner while doing so. However, that public display is our "masque" - it is our public cover that hides the covert activities which define a good portion of our role-play. If you are seeking *only* traditional military RP, Blackstar might disappoint. If you're looking for someing more "shady" - we may be able to accomodate ~Blackstar thinks "small is good". We are not out to be the biggest group in Midian, as our ethos ICly means that we believe in obtaining big results with a small group of highly-capable people. That means we're picky - which is both entirely IC as well as a good way to preserve a high-quality of RP. Again, those are a few high-value things you may want to be aware of going in. We want the group to be a “fit” for you just as much as we want players who are a “fit” for Blackstar to join and participate. Thanks again for your interest – now on to the details! ~Debra Charron What is Blackstar? "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." ~George Orwell Blackstar Military Services is a global “private military contractor” corporation that primarily operates in the Freetowns and Lawless Zones that were abandoned by the World Union following the Last War. Blackstar is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oceanic Imports Corporation and the protection Oceanic’s freighters, staff and cargoes is its publicly-stated primary mission. Oceanic Imports is the premier supplier of manufactured goods to portions of the globe not directly ruled by the World Union, and Blackstar provides its protection against pirates, outlaw gangs and other predators out on the high seas and the various Freetowns in which it does business. Oceanic created Blackstar by buying up several paramilitary mercenary groups – groups that possessed extensive “special operations” or commando skills and reforming them into one paramilitary force capable of protecting its interests worldwide. In addition to its publicly stated mission, Blackstar operates as Oceanic’s covert-operations and Intelligence arm. Blackstar acts covertly to either coerce or suppress any potential rivals to Oceanic’s shipping monopoly - forcing them to either pay “compensation” to Oceanic for shipping on their territory or risk a focused campaign of sabotage and assassination being directed against them. Additionally, Blackstar covert-operations have included meddling in local politics in the Freetowns – supporting whichever local leaders would be most beneficial to Oceanic Imports – and dealing quite ruthlessly with those who oppose Oceanic’s agenda. Blackstar is a “for profit” organization with a need to keep its “Operators” (the term for all Blackstar operations-staff) special-warfare skills sharp. To this end, Blackstar hires its teams out both publicly and covertly to outside groups who need a small but effective fighting-force to handle specific problems. Blackstar can, when operating in “military mode” provide a high-damage, low-footprint solution for anyone who (a) does not conflict with Oceanic Import’s objectives and (b) can afford to pay them top dollar they command for their specialized skills. Blackstar also takes on high-risk security tasks such as site protection, fugitive recovery, training someone else’s private army and body-guarding. When “hiring out” to organizations other than Oceanic Imports, Blackstar accepts contracts thru the local Mercenary Guild. Blackstar scrupulously ensures that the local Mercenary Guild receives its Royalty fee from any profits made due to operations in its territory and strives to maintain good relations with their non-corporate cousins. Additionally, Blackstar often acts as go-between and “sanitation crew” for Oceanic Imports where the Merc/Oceanic smuggling of contraband are concerned. Finally, Blackstar has one mission for Oceanic Imports that is so covert it is never discussed except in the most secure of surroundings. That final objective is not known even within Blackstar below the Commander/Executive Officer Level, but local Commanders recruit their members with that eventual mission in mind. The timeline to prepare will take decades, but Blackstar needs time to grow and ready itself for its role – so quietly and far under the radar, the preparations begin. Who are Blackstar’s Operators? “It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.” -Sun Tzu, the Art of War Following the Last War, the collapse of the former political boundaries and nation-states and the rise of the World Union put many professional soldiers out of work. Union Aerospace Corporation had assumed a monopoly on the formal “Military” role for the World Union, and so any of these former military professionals who did not fit the mold cast by the UAC had to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Blackstar recruits former soldiers (national or mercenary) and spies who possess several qualities that are considered highly relevant to its mission as a high-effect/small-footprint organization that operates in the ever-changing environment of the Freetowns and Lawless Zones. Here are the basic qualifications to get a Blackstar Interview; * Basic Skill Set All candidates for Selection must be veterans of a regular police, military, Intelligence or paramilitary mercenary formation and possess basic combat skills. Preference is given to combat veterans with a record of being smart and aggressive on the battlefield. * Advanced Skill Set All candidates for Selection must have served in an Unconventional Warfare, Commando or Covert Operations unit. Snipers, Urban/Maritime/Airborne/Aerospace commandos, Infiltration experts, Psychological Warfare, Intelligence officers and other Black Operations specialists are preferred. Additionally, Blackstar looks for skilled medical and technical staff to support its operations out in the hinterlands of post-apocalypse Earth. Each Forward Team must be as self-sufficent as possible, and a diversity of skills are essential. * “Unconventional Mentality” Blackstar operates almost exclusively in the most lawless and volatile portions of the planet. We are almost always out-numbered, our headquarters may or may not have secure contact with us and any possible reinforcements are very far away. The nature of our operations, the conditions we work within and the need for so many ops to be carried out covertly means that they need something more than a standard Soldier who follows orders and can be successful in combat. They need a “thinkers” who can operate independent of higher authority as required, and who can improvise and adapt to changing circumstances to ensure both mission-success and the continued survival of Blackstar under the autocratic scrutiny of the World Union. Possessing this “Mentality” means the candidate has a healthy wariness for orders that do not make sense, the self-confidence to suggest alternatives and the self-discipline to work within a team. Operators need the ruthlessness to execute distasteful tasks efficiently, and the creativity to plan “on the fly”, coupled with the self-control not to let ego/habits/addictions affect the mission. Finally, all Operators need a certain stubborn persistence to try and make the Mission work, but at the same time possess the good sense to know when the mission is blown and the time has come to escape alive and fight another day. Persons possessing this particular Mentality might be regarded as disgruntled troublemakers in conventional “follow my orders and don’t ask questions” units such as the average Conventional Military unit. However, in the fluid environment of covert & “special” operations – the ability to think and act decisively is highly prized. Persons who are "suitable" for Blackstar regard blind obedience as a good trait – for a dog. Many people who gravitate to Blackstar have already served in traditional units and had their unique world-view cause them no end of trouble with their superiors. This in turn generates loyalty to Blackstar as perhaps the first organization where their unique talents and philosophy are not only tolerated – but encouraged and rewarded. * Motivation Candidates for Selection must demonstrate the ability to extend loyalty to their Team, and the ability to garner loyalty from other team-members. They must not be totally motivated by greed or sadism and must demonstrate a sincere love of the Profession – they must at some level desire this profssion for what it is and the freedoms that come with the risks. Finally, candidates who have personally suffered at the hands of the World Union are preferred so long as their actions are not overly controlled by a desire for revenge. * Genotype Candidates for Selection may be Human, Replicant “A” types or Nekos / Hybrids whose animalistic drives are controlled enough not to present possible compromise to the Mission. It should be noted that an obvious non-human appearance may disqualify an Operator for some particular missions on the Mainland that require the ability to “blend”. OOC Note: Members of the human-appearing “alternative” faction-species such as Vampires may become Blackstar members if both Factions approve OOCly and the Candidate can maintain any masque required. The Blackstar Faction leader should be consulted OOCly about this in each case. Refer to the "Multifactioning" rules in the "Joining Blackstar" secion. Cybernetic enhancements are allowed so long as they fall within the sim and faction guidelines, with the exception of any enhancements that might allow an outside party to “hack” the operators brain (built-in-wireless internet for example). Generally, augments should not elevate any one physical ability to more than x1.5 times "human" and the majority of characteristics should fall within the Human range. Having an appearance or bio-scan other than Human or Neko *reduces* the likelihood that an applicant will be accepted, as it reduces their covert-operations value. Blackstar Perqs There are several perqs that go with belonging to Blackstar along with several disadvantages. These can be used to enhance your RP, but should NEVER be abused to the point of Godmoding uber abilities and gear for the purposes of short-circuiting role-play. * Travel Authorization ~Blackstar operates under Oceanic Imports blanket travel pass, and so long as you have an authorization from an Officer you can utilize Oceanic’s freighters to travel to and from the mainland (duty status permitting) * Weapons-Carry Authorization ~Blackstar is an authorized and certified private military contractor as registered with the World Union. When operating in the Freetowns or Lawless Zones, Operators are authorized to carry their side-arms at all times and may carry and use rifles or other long-arms either during times of elevated threat conditions or when operating on a specific mission. Average citizens of these areas are NOT allowed to carry rifles / SMGs casually and are subject to arrest by the MPD or UAC detention if captured doing so. When operating in Leviathon, only non-lethal weapons are permitted and a taser/stunner - pistol is the standard side-arm for “overt” security tasks there. That is, unless we willingly violate the law in pursuit of our duties – as happens from time –to-time. * Secure Base ~You gain access to the Blackstar Garrison located beneath the Docks guard-tower in Midian. This facility is a new construction and is shielded against electronic eves-dropping and is built to Bunker-construction standards. Membership in Blackstar grants you a place in our bunkroom and access to all portions of the facility except the Commander & XO’s offices. The base contains an advanced trauma-room, training and mess facilities as well as our secure Tactical Operations Center from which missions are planned and monitored. No armed visitors are allowed on the docks or in the Garrison and visitors are not allowed off the garrison “Quarterdeck” unless escorted by an Officer or Sergeant. * Financial Benefits ~The starting salary for a Blackstar Operator is about twice what a World Union junior officer is paid. Additionally, operators receive “incentive” pay for specific jobs performed for Oceanic and are highly compensated for work performed under the Mercenary Guild. This places the average Blackstar member at a (role-played) financial advantage over the average resident. * Shipping Access ~Blackstar is permitted wide access to manufactured goods shipped in by Oceanic Imports, and is sold these items at a discounted (cost) rate. Blackstar members may order items directly thru Oceanic and RP them as generally arriving within a week on an Oceanic freighter (exotic items take longer). This perq is relates to items for your personal use or small gifts. If you need to buy in quantity you should speak to the Oceanic Imports shipping agent. Additionally, if wishing to order exotic materials – esp. weapons or hardware – you should seek approval of a Blackstar Officer before “placing the order”. * New Identity ~Similarly to the old French Foreign Legion – Blackstar often recruits persons who have had legal “issues” with the World Union. Blackstar’s Technical Resources Unit excels at the re-creation of an individuals identity so that in the tradition of La Legion Etrangere “Monsieur X becomes Operator Y” – if such a change is required. Joining Blackstar To join be considered for Selection, please complete an application and turn it in to any Blackstar Officer (Debra Charron, Roaman Enzo, Jonathon Parx). Your app will be reviewed and then you will be called in for an in-person interview ((IC and OOC)). Should you be put forward by the interviewer, you will be accepted as a Recruit and considered a probationary member until your RP can be assessed and you either pass/fail the Selection event. Persons who pass Selection are promoted to “Operator” and those who fail are released from Blackstar. Selection is a role-played exercise designed to make “on-boarding” interesting. It evolves over time, so anything you may be told about it may not be accurate when *you* participate. * Multi-Factioning* We allow limited multi-factioning with the following stipulations; 01..The applicant must disclose what Factions they are a member of to the Commander up front. Failure to do so can result in the character being ejected from Blackstar for non-consensual spying. 02..The other faction(s) the applicant is a member of *must* agree to this prior to the applicant being elgible for promotin from recruit to operator. If this is not obtained in a reasonable time or if the factions decline, the recruit must then 'pick" where he or she wishes to be, or be discharged from Blackstar. 03..Characters who are multifactioned and are officer-grade in another group are not elgible for promotion past Sergeant in Blackstar. 04..Multifactioned characters who are there to act as "moles" or spies MUST state this OOCly in advance of any such activity and have it consented-to. Passing sensitive data outside the faction to one of the other Factions the character is a member of w/o advance consent will be considered Meta and will result in ejection from Blackstar with RP consequences to be stipulated at that time. 05..Blackstar expects loyalty and participation. Characters who are multi-factioned are expected to maintain a regular and visible level of activity within Blackstar. Failure to do so can result in discharge from the Faction. Internal Structure Blackstar is under the orders of Oceanic Imports. Orders from the OI General Manager (Craven Umarov) as relayed thru the Team officers or 1st Sergeant should be followed. The local Blackstar Commander can countermand orders from the local Oceanic GM in some cases, but is ultimately accountable for justifying such actions with Oceanic’s owner – Johann Van Zandt. Blackstar maintains a regional office in Leviathon from which are controlled the various Forward Teams operating in this Region. Debra Charron is the current Regional Commander, and is currently double-assigned as the Commander of Forward Team-01 located in Midian City. The various Regional Offices globally are located in Mainland Cities close to Freetowns or Lawless Zones, and typically have three Forward Teams under their command as well as a varying number of “Maritime Detachments” consisting of Operatiors stationed aboard freighters as anti-piracy protection. * Ranking Structure* Within a Forward Team (FT) or a Maritime Detachments (MD), the following Rank Structure applies; Commander (CO) - has full Tactical command and authority to act to protect Oceanic assets unilaterally Executive Officer (XO) - second in command, acts as the Commander’s right-arm and fills the Commanders role should she or he become incapacitated or be unavailable Captain (Cpt) – officers responsible for command of tactical teams and support units 1st Sergeant (1st Sgt) – senior NCO and primary “unit motivator” – keeps the Sergeants on-task Sergeant (Sgt) – NCOs who assist officers in coordinating operational tasks Operator (Op) - Full-functional team-members Recruit (Rc) – Potential Team members who have yet to pass Selection * Support Designations* “Logistics” – Team-members with Intelligence responsibilities are covered as Blackstar Logistics in addition to their regular rank. “Technical Resources Unit” – A regional NPC support unit that provides logistical and technical support to Forward Teams and Maritime Detachments Standing Orders “All warfare is based on deception.” - Sun Tzu, the Art of War 01...Maintain Blackstar as an operational entity (no getting us wiped out by the World Union). 02..Mission success trumps specific *orders* unless Mission Success violates #1. ( Its OK to “like” a plan, but never fall in love with it so much you can’t change with the situation.) 03..All requests from Oceanic Imports, issued thru our chain of command should be carried out to the best of your ability unless this violates #1. (Figure out a creative way to “get it done” without getting us burned or killed) 04..Oceanic Imports assets and staff are to be protected as an operational priority unless this violates #1. 05..No Armed visitors aboard the base. All non-Blackstar get searched except Oceanic Imports management unless this violates #1. No visitors past the Quarterdeck w/o an officer or NCO escort. 06..No Merc assignments will be undertaken that conflict with Oceanic Imports Interests, nor any that violate #1. Merc assignments will be booked thru a Guild "Handler" 07..There is one punishment for potential violation of #1 or betrayal of the team, it involves standing on plastic and having your skull emptied out by the Commander's USP. 08..Members of the Clergy of the Catholic Church as well as lay Brothers & Sisters are to be protected and granted sanctuary under all circumstances except those circumstances that would violate #1. This is a direct order from Oceanic Imports owner Johann Van Zandt and willful violations of it will be explained to him – usually while standing on plastic. 09.. Maintain a the public appearance of a “professional” and polite relationship with the representatives of the World Union (UAC & MPD). Any hostile action taken aggressively against them should be deniable and overt action against them should only be in self-defense and only if your life or those of Oceanic Imports staff is in imminent danger as overt conflict with the World Union could directly lead to a violation of #1. Roleplay Rules 01..Consent is King. Always IM for OOC consent prior to engaging in violence, rape, spying or joining a scene that is already in progress. ALWAYS gain consent before potentially operating violently in someone’s Faction HQ. 02..Observe good combat etiquette. Post what you *intend* to do and let the receiver determine the effect. Take your share of hits and give the other person a chance to shine as well. Use a posting order for large scenes and post in your turn. 03..If you have a dispute with another player over combat, discuss it OOC in private IM. If you cannot gain consensus on a solution, agree to end the scene by other means ((perhaps the MPD NPCs show up and you both have to run away)) and move on. If the other party makes this difficult, you may announce in local chat that “((I’m sorry but I cannot continue this scene))”. Notecard the log and forward to the Commander so she or he may discuss the issue with the other Faction Leader or an Admin. 04..Narrative posts should be confined to what outsiders can perceive with their senses and not used as a means of “Godmoding insults”. “/me sneers when she hears the man’s last comment” is fine. “/me thinks the man is a farking idiot and hopes he dies soon” is not proper as it states something not perceptible to others. 05..If another player wants out of a scene, allow it and do your best to work out a graceful way for the scene to end that preserves the RP. 06..OOC complaining to or about another player in local chat where all can hear, or on the forums is not permitted. If you have a problem you cannot resolve with another individual, speak to an Admin and NOT the world at large. 07..All Blackstar players are accountable for obeying the sim RP rules and technology restrictions. Players who violate either will be “coached” by Admins and Faction Officers, Players who habitually break rules or cause OOC drama will be ejected from Blackstar. 08..If you have alts in other groups, you should never have information being passed from one of your alts to another as could lead to Blackstar being accused of Metagaming.. Blackstar engages in espionage, but only when another PLAYER is available to consent to the information gathered from/about them. Metagaming *is* cause to be ejected from Blackstar. 09..IC communications over technical means (cell-phones, radios, etc) should also be posted in local chat if the surrounding characters could reasonably expect to overhear. Even if you cannot be overheard, if you are in IC communication with someone out-of-scene, it should be made clear, for example, '/me whispers something into her throat mic'. Other characters in the scene may choose to behave differently if they could reasonably be expected to observe that you are in contact with someone else. 10..Avoid OOC responses to other people’s IC actions. This is inappropriate and kills the RP for everyone involved. If you evidence becoming OOC angry when someone insults your character ICly, or attempt to carry IC romance beyond the game – you will (a) discourage others from wanting to RP with you and (b) quite possibly be looking for a new Faction. 11..Be supportive of role-play *within* Midian/Apoc/Leviathon. Work to create RP opportunities for yourself and others in the three sims we are provided by Jade and avoid actions that might draw RP activity away from the World of Midian. Hardware "The machine means nothing, success depends on he who controls the machine" ~Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen Blackstar utilizes a combination of issued and player-purchased equipment listed on this card; ((Gear Card Here)) Blackstar follows the sim rules on tech restrictions, meaning we wear conventional tactical vests, carry projectile rifles using gunpowder and otherwise operate within the sim guide. Blackstar, as a subsidiary of Oceanic Imports, has better access to equipment then is the norm for Midian – but this perq should not be abused by having special items miraculously appear out of thin air. If you use it, it must be visible on your avatar or listed in a titler. We get three freighters into Midian a week with potential shipments of special items we request, and it takes 12 hours for a freighter to reach Midian from Leviathon or vice-versa (subject to adjustment by Jade/Oceanic/Craven – so that should factor into your RP of any equipment requests. Area-Specific Procedures Midian City “This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.” ~Plato We guard the Oceanic Imports freighters while docked in Midian and safeguard Midian’s only supply-line of bulk goods and food. Blackstar Uniform should be worn while guarding Oceanic Assets, although plain-clothing will be authorized for some executive-protection details. The Mercenary Guild “owns” the Docks proper and leases space to Oceanic Imports, so any major action on the Docks proper should be coordinated with them. Persons wishing to RP on the docks should obtain consent before RPing damage to the facility, ship or theft of any items or Intel. Our garrison is the underground bunker beneath the guard-tower, and is our recognized Faction HQ. When on Mercenary operations not related to Oceanic, Uniform will only be worn when the client wishes to hire us as Blackstar for a show-of-force. Otherwise, wear “sanitized” tactical clothing not displaying any Blackstar markers. All covert operations; Mercenary or for Oceanic should be carried out with deniability of Blackstar’s involvement – even if this amounts to a moral “fig-leaf”, so wear plainclothes and use sanitized equipment. Leviathon “When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” ~Plato Our presence in Leviathon is twofold. Publicly, the Blackstar Regional Commander maintains an office in the Oceanic Imports facility on level #2 and wears either uniform or plain-clothes while on duty. Additionally, if additional Guards are required at this office they will be either in uniform or plainclothes at the discretion of the Oceanic Imports General Manager. Non-lethal side-arms are the only approved *publicly* carried weapons in Leviathon. Lethal weapons authorization must come from the Commander or XO. Leviathon’s laws that prevent the carry of lethal weaponry mean that we are at risk of extreme penalties if caught possessing them. Therefore, all Covert ops in Leviathon will be carried out under conditions of extreme “deniability”. We also maintain a safe-house in Leviathon where we store any contraband equipment and weapons we may be called upon to use. The safe-house constitutes our primary base in Leviathon and is where any covert operations in that region will stage from. War-Book “We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.” - Sun Tzu Note: We are mercenaries. We have Clients, Potential Assets and Potential Threats – never allies or enemies. This list changes frequently as in our profession today’s Potential Threat is next week’s Client. ~This list is not all-inclusive~ Clients ~Oceanic Imports – Parent company and principal client. All requests from OI management are considered orders and supersede any other operational considerations. ~Ashagi Enterprises – Our only other “standing” contract. We provide overt and clandestine services of all types to Ashagi upon request so long as they do not negatively impact Oceanic Imports Potential Assets ~The Midian Police Department – a potential source of contracts for “extra-legal” work that their obligations to the judicial system prevent them from handling directly. Potential source of Intelligence. Actions taken to generate goodwill between us and the MPD have been beneficial in the past and are encouraged by Command ~KAOS Pirates - This organisation seems to be heavily invested in various extra-legal activities and their internal security seems to be quite good for this area. They likely possess good intelligence assets in various loations as a means of maintaining their own operation, and should be cultivated as a resource/client for that reason. ~The Catwalkers of Midian – a potential source of intelligence on activities in Midian. Cultivate their goodwill if possible. ~The Resistance - tenous intel indicates this group is engaged in armed insurrection against the World Union. Possible client for arms sales, Intel-gathering and support-of-direct-action. The big question with any idealogical revolutionary group lies in whether their revolutionary zeal will over-ride good strategy and tradecraft. Contacts with this group should be done with complete deniability and any agreements shoiuld be handled directly by Command before considered official. ~The Midian Parish – a potential source of Intelligence and Sanctuary should it be needed. Refer to Standing order #8. Ordained Priests, Brothers and Nuns should be treated with respect and protected in accordance with S.O. #8. ~The Midian Mercenary Guild – Oceanic’s sales and distribution network for contraband as well as the local mercenary “labor union” thru which we book Merc jobs for extra income and training purposes. Maintain cordial relations with the Guild whenever possible but be mindful that they have their own agenda separate from ours. ~The Art Gallery – potential valuable Intel source as well as a source of Merc jobs. ~The Resistance - anyone seeking to bring down the World Union is a potential asset, as they may be willing to exchange information for arms, and might also be a source of new recruits. Potential Threats ~The Midian Police Department – the rare straight-and-narrow cop takes a dim view of our methods and should be regarded as a potential liability. Avoid killing police officers if at all possible and if action against them is required, it is to be done with complete deniability. ~The Union Aerospace Corporation Marines – the World Union’s military arm. Modern military force with full-spectrum support assets including Intel, Remote imaging and heavy military reinforcement. UAC Marines run the gamut from true military professionals to aggressive, bullying thugs-with-guns. Treat professionally and avoid overt retaliation unless authorized by Command. Avoid personal entanglements with UAC members unless part of a Command-authorized Intel or PSYops mission. Avoid killing UAC staff if at all possible (unless Command-Authorized or the Imminent Danger clause is invoked) and if action against them is required, it is to be done with complete deniability. ~The Dolls – Midian-based prostitution ring with past ties to the UAC. Use of their Services is not prohibited (and is fun RP I hear). Feel free to enjoy them, but exercise caution in telling them ANYTHING. ~The Resistance - They represent a significant risk of bringing the attention of the World Union down squarely on Midian and thus put us at risk of an outside breach of Standing Order #1. Additionally, the danger is that they will believe our operating cover as "good corporate citizens of the World Union" and strike us as a target of opportunity. Our sympathy for their agenda must be balanced against our own operational security - but any lethal action against them should only take place with Command authorisation unless a breach of S.O. #1 is in Imminent Danger of being caused by their actions. Until then observe, cultivate and report ~KAOS Pirates - This organisation has its own agenda which will likely diverge from our own at some point and may be engaged in rogue smuggling to support it. Report and intel reguarding this to Command and take offensive action only if authorised to do so ~The Haulers - Purportedly a Rogue Smuggling operation and a subject-of-interest in OpsPlan Razor. Observe and report any acitivities of this group until such time as Razor is executed. ~The Midian Mercenary Guild – Mercs can be hired by our enemies and employed against us. When you are engaged in combat by a person known to be a Guild Merc, avoid killing them if possible but carry out whatever your duty is at the moment. Once hostilities cease, ensure any opposing Mercs make it home and receive medical care. Avoid disclosure of anything regarding Blackstar information Sources and Means, including informants. ((The mercs are a sister-group, so please keep any drama IC and maintain cordial OOC relations with them if at all possible)) ~The Resistance - Idealogical revolutionaries are in many cases not 'logically" motivated. they have the potential to bring down the wrath of the World Union on Midian and possibly Blackstar is connection between us and them is suspected - a S.O. #1 violation. Treat all idealogical revolutionaries with great caution . Blackstar Role-play Examples The following are to give you some idea of the various types of RP we engage in; RP Related to Oceanic Imports ~Defending the freighter/dock gates from someone seeking to rob or commit direct action against Oceanic. We treat thieves roughly and torture (mechanical interrogation) is a legitimate means of extracting information. ~Overt protection of Oceanic VIPs ~Recovery of stolen Oceanic Imports cargo, assets or kidnapped staff ~Overt retaliatory strikes against entities or persons who have made Oceanic’s Target-of-Opportunity list (for taking public action against Oceanic – overt action is reserved for situations where there is no ‘legal” down-side to dealing with them in public) ~Covert intelligence gathering about possible competitors or enemies of Oceanic, and information-gathering on local notables who may be of use to the Company. ~Covert strikes against rival shippers/smugglers with the objecting of either bringing them under Oceanic’s umbrella or rendering them inoperative. ~Covert strikes against or removal of persons who have made Oceanic’s Targets-of-Opportunity List. These may be persons who have directly acted against OI, *may* act against OI as well as local political or governmental figures opposed to Oceanic’s agenda ~Covert action to recover contraband weapons from the hands of persons who may, in the opinion of Oceanic’s management, use them irresponsibly and bring down World Union attention on Oceanic Imports. This especially targets persons who did *not* buy said weapons from Oceanic. ~Covert action to induce or seduce “persons of interest” into being amenable to Oceanic’s agenda. This would include blackmail or emotional manipulation. ~Covert seizure of hardware or intellectual property that is of interest to Oceanic Imports. ~Covert operations directed at increasing the demand for Oceanic’s products and services, these would include inciting other groups to combat one another and thus require more arms shipments, demand-creation by destroying selected groups stockpiles of certain supplies or otherwise creating artificial “shortages” ~Covert protection of Smuggled shipments for Oceanic Imports until the Mercenary Guild takes delivery ~Covert “people movement” RP related to Operations Via the Mercenary Guild* (“for-hire ops” ) ~Direct action (violence), overt or covert against a selected target – military action, sabotage or assassination ~Overt or covert security services for hard-sites and individuals – facility security & body-guarding ~Overt or Covert training of “paying” groups in military/commando/terrorist skills ~Covert Intelligence-gathering ~Fugitive or property recovery. ~Other overt or covert tasks, whatever jobs are offered so long as they do not conflict with Oceanic Imports interests and our price is met Suggested Reading & Viewing Fiction Literature: "The Mercenary" by Jerry Pournelle "Hammer's Slammers" by David Drake Non-Fiction Literature: "Licensed To Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror" by Robert Pelton "Inside Delta Force" by Eric Haney "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army " by Jeremy Scahill Current Television Fiction: "The Unit" - "Leverage" - "Jericho" (the Ravenwood Corp) - Cinema: "The Wild Geese" - category:Factions